Meet & Eats with Kristen Bailey & Anton Gaffney

We’re running it back for the final Meet & Eats of the year on Wednesday, November 13 at 5:30 PM. This time, we’re welcoming Kristen Bailey and Anton Gaffney to the stage. They each were instrumental in the establishment of Sweets & Meats BBQ - Kristen as a co-founder and now the CEO, and Anton as the General Manager. 

Beginning as a roadside BBQ pit stop, Sweets & Meats has grown exponentially since its inception nearly a decade ago. Today, it exists in Mt. Washington as a brick-and-mortar, as well as a full-service catering company with three award-winning food trucks. During this event, Kristen and Anton will share the instrumental knowledge they learned and leveraged while building Sweets & Meats.

Attendees are welcome to engage in a Q&A session and mingle and meet fellow entrepreneurs among light bites provided by Sweets & Meats and a cash bar. You do not need to be a business owner to enjoy this event!

Findlay Learn's Food Business Workshops connect budding entrepreneurs with actionable insights and impactful resources. These stand-alone sessions empower entrepreneurs with practical knowledge and tools to build effective business operations. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow your venture, our workshops cater to all stages of business development. Join us to explore the intricacies of food entrepreneurship and gain the skills needed to navigate the challenges of the food industry.

This iPhone photography workshop for food businesses will cover the following:

• Using what you've got: Mastering the camera on your iPhone

• Composition and lighting: How to make your food stand out

• Post-production: Editing your images using Camera and additional apps

• Content strategy: What to post and what to avoid

This workshop encourages participants to bring a dish or object to photograph, an iPhone, and enough storage space to take lots of photos! After registration, you will receive instructions to download the free apps needed for the workshop. We’ll reach out with details to ensure you’re prepared and ready to make the most of the session!

About Erin Matulis (Instructor)

Erin Matulis has been with the Corporation for Findlay Market for six years and currently serves as the Director of Marketing. In this role, she oversees all marketing, data analytics, communications, branding, public relations, special events, programming, and design for Findlay Market and its programs. As the Market’s first full-time graphic designer in 2018, Erin played a key role in elevating Findlay Market’s brand, from building out Market websites to creating original event branding and improving wayfinding.

With over a decade of photography experience—starting in film and later transitioning to digital—Erin has developed a versatile approach, capturing everything from food and family to lifestyle and events. Minoring in photography in college and as a social media content creator for Findlay Market, she believes in empowering others to use the tools at their fingertips. Beyond her role at Findlay Market, Erin runs a photography business (@erinmatulisphotography), showcasing her passion for capturing life’s moments. Her expertise in photography, videography, and marketing has significantly enhanced Findlay Market's social media presence. In her current role, she leads a talented team, driving data-driven marketing strategies and maintaining a high standard of excellence in all external communications.

Meet & Eats is an ongoing series of audience-engaging and community-minded chats focusing on what it means to cultivate, manage, and grow your Entrepreneurial Mindset. There will be nibbles, a cash bar, and time to meet other extraordinary independent business creators. We are excited to welcome James Beard Nominated Chef, Jeffery Harris to speak on his experience in the field and Keith Pandolfi will be facilitating the Q&A session.

Tickets

All are welcome! Tickets are $10, and cover the cost of admission and light bites from Findlay Market Merchants.

About Jeffery Harris

Jeffery Harris is the James Beard Nominated chef of Nolia Kitchen, an intimate restaurant in the heart of Over-The-Rhine that serves Southern food inspired by the Ninth Ward. Jeffery jump-started his first two restaurant concepts out of Findlay Kitchen. Like Nolia, each was inspired by his time in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, where he lived until Hurricane Katrina pushed him north to Cincinnati. His cuisine is inspired by his lived experience. It is truly an extension of himself.

About Keith Pandolfi

Keith Pandolfi is a James Beard Award-winning journalist, former senior features editor at Serious Eats, and a former senior editor at Saveur. Currently, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Food Writer, Keith is a friend and fan of the regional food industry and seeks to experience it from every menu, every neighborhood, and every price point. He knows the people and what they put into their food; he reviews the trends, enjoys the sentimental favorites, and understands the role that small, independent food businesses play in the lives of individuals and our community.